Several years ago, I lost my 17-year old son in a car accident. After the passing of someone you dearly love, you often start to look at life in a new way. I questioned my own life and questioned if I was living my life to its fullest?
I began to look at how much of my life was wasted in fear of things that never happen and negative thoughts that keep me stuck. I could have chosen to stay stuck on the ground and robbed of joy, peace and happiness, but instead, I began to work on recovery. The hot air balloon became a metaphor of taking flight rising above life on the ground (stuck in my head and negative thoughts).
As I rise above the ground in my hot air balloon (I rise above my thoughts), things look much smaller and less threatening up in the sky. I caught a glimpse of a bigger picture and solutions/possible pathways. My hot air balloon became a recovery therapy tool. I put my negative thoughts in the basket of my balloon and send them skyward, letting them go. Because we never know how short life can be, I work at my recovery to be healthy, free and live life to its fullest.
Contributed by Cyd Davis-Hubler, Art Therapist at EDTC